In UNCANNY, the world's first fully-realized Artificial Intelligence exhibits startling and unnerving emergent behavior when the woman reporting on it begins a relationship with its creator. A love triangle between man, woman and machine threatens to undo years of scientific progress.

As part of its year ‘round programming, Other Worlds Austin SciFi Film Festival is excited to announce the Texas premiere of UNCANNY on October 14 (9:00PM) at Flix Brewhouse. Director Matthew Leutwyler will be in attendance and will do a Q&A after the screening. The film stars Mark Webber (SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD), Lucy Griffiths (TRUE BLOOD), David Clayton Rogers (BLOODY SUNDAY), and Rainn Wilson (THE OFFICE).

“At its core it’s a story that questions what it means to be human,” says director Matthew Leutwyler. “Of course the complexities of that question reveal that it’s not really a single question but more of a multi-part. What is unique to humanity now? What will be unique to humanity in the future? Can science provide the answer?”

David Kressen, MIT graduate at age 19, has not been seen publicly since taking an impossible offer from billionaire CEO Simon Castle. At Kestrel Computing, David has been working unchecked for ten years on his ultimate creation: Adam, an artificial intelligence indistinguishable from an actual human being.

Given a week of exclusive access, Joy Andrews, a former scientist turned reporter, conducts a series of interviews about Adam and his creator. Initially only curious about the robot, the relationship takes a peculiar turn when Joy’s interest in David causes what can only be described as jealously in Adam. As the two ‘men’ fight over her attentions and affections, Adam begins exhibiting unnerving emergent behavior impossible to program.

Our first ever Screenwriting Contest has its final deadline at midnight PST October 15th.

Sponsored by No BullScript Consulting, the best feature, teleplay, and short will receive a Development Notes Phone Consultation with Danny Manus, CEO of No BullScript Consulting, a top 15 script consultant according to Creative Screenwriting. In addition, the top feature and teleplay will win cash prizes of $500 and the best short will win $250.

In honor of the upcoming deadline, Don Elfant takes a look at some SciFi Screenwriting Success Stories to get your screenplay out the door.

THE PATH TO SCIFI SUCCESS

by Don Elfant — There is more than one way to skin a cat (boy, that’s a terrible expression) and there is more than one path to make it as a screenwriter. Some of the most famous SciFi screenwriters had humble beginnings. Some got into screenwriting from distinctly non Hollywood jobs. Others were practically born into it.

No matter where you are in your writing career, take solace in these six stories of famous SciFi screenwriters who found their way to the top. Most went on to become directors, producers, and some even moguls.

Gene Roddenberry began his writing career as a Los Angeles police office. His first assignment for the LAPD was to write press releases and teach traffic safety classes. He graduated to writing speeches for the Chief of Police. But he wanted more. In 1951, Roddenberry took a second job submitting real life police stories to the DRAGNET radio show. This led to an assignment as a technical adviser, and he eventually started sending in scripts under his pseudonym, Robert Wesley. In 1956 he finally left the force and became a full time screenwriter. Fourteen years, and many scripts later, Rodenberry sold to NBC his pilot—a ‘space western’ called STAR TREK.

Parsec the Space Kitty says act fast, the robots are marching on mission control demanding we raise badge prices. Until midnight October 31st, badges are only $50.

Buy a badge today and guarantee your seat for this year’s festival.

Other Worlds Austin returns to the Galaxy Highland 10 on December 3-5 (Thursday-Saturday). For $50, you will have a guaranteed seat at each screening time, that’s 10 films, or $5.00 per film.

Last year’s festival included the World Premiere of feature APT 3D, the World Premiere of a new cut of documentary BACKYARD BLOCKBUSTERS, and the World Premiere of mini-feature THE SUN DEVIL AND THE PRINCESS. We were also proud to serve as the US Premiere of Hungarian thriller AURA, Dutch drama CAPSULE, and the cloning closing night hit THE RECONSTRUCTION OF WILLIAM ZERO. The rest of our features were all Texas Premieres, including the Audience Award winner TIME LAPSE, which played over 60 festivals last year, but none in Texas until OWA. Rounding out the first year of films were three audience-thrilling shorts programs, with filmmakers from all around the globe exploring every corner of the SciFi genre.

Your seat will be guaranteed as long as you arrive at the theater at least 15 minutes before the screening time. At 15 minutes, tickets will go on sale to the general public. Late arriving badgeholders will have to go to the back of the general admission line.

Prices go up to $60 on November 1st.

Don’t delay.Quantities are limited. After a great and sold-out inaugural year in 2014, we expect the festival to sell out again.